Drones are increasingly becoming a part of mainstream electronics, with applications ranging from enterprise hardware to film production tools. With recent media coverage of drones crashing into the White House lawn and grounding firefighting planes, it is clear there is still much to be done in the areas of safety and reliability. CoPilot is the first step to offer drones enthusiasts and novice pilots that safety and reliability through a unique user interface. By placing the focus on the videos and pictures, instead of the drone, CoPilot allows the user to focus on their creative vision, while automating the flying.

“CoPilot eliminates the need for you to be both a photographer and a drone pilot. CoPilot handles the piloting, keeping your drone safe, so you can focus on the videos and images you want to capture”

– says FreeSkies Co-founder, Jay Mulakala.

After launching CoPilot, operators set keyframes by interacting with the 3D interface, and framing the video or images they wish to capture. Once the frames have been set, the application will automatically guide your drone along the 3D path, while manipulating the drone’s orientation and camera pitch to perfectly match each frame. According to Co-founder Andy Putch, “CoPilot greatly reduces the possibility of piloting error by automating complex functions, from takeoff to touchdown. The entire planning interface is contained within the application, making it possible to plan and pre-visualize the intended video well before arriving at the site”. According to Drone Analyst Founder, Colin Snow, “Advances in drones have made them the platform of choice for aerial photography. Their ubiquity has lowered the barrier-to-entry for aerial work like real-estate advertising, where a bird’s-eye view is highly valued. The next advances will be in autonomous control, making even existing drones much more powerful and user friendly. FreeSkies is certainly on the right track.”

The app only requires the DJI platform, controller, and an iPad to operate. It interfaces with the drone’s controller, allowing it to relay GPS and telemetry data from the application to the quadcopter. Once the app has been connected and a mission has been loaded, the drone will be controlled autonomously, with advanced options to control the camera in flight, for on-the-fly adjustments. CoPilot offers users a unique pre-visualization and flight planning system, fully autonomous control capabilities, safety and reliability in flight, and supports the DJI Phantom 3 Standard, Advanced, Professional, and Inspire on all iPads running iOS 9 or above. Android and iPhone compatibility is in production. The technology behind the FreeSkies CoPilot is currently patent pending.

Alan Perlman

Founder & CEO

Alan is an FAA-certified drone pilot and founded UAV Coach in 2014 to help connect drone enthusiasts, to provide world-class sUAS industry training courses, and to help push the drone community forward with a focus on safety and commercial opportunities.